“I usually go out before the day breaks to fetch water for my family. It’s part of my daily chore. I make at least four trips to the stream before I am able to fill up all the containers at home.”
Aliyu Ya’uba, 38“I have a small medicine store. During the rainy season, i open the store by 7am-8am and then i go to the farm and return to the store by 2pm and close by 7pm. However, during the dry season, I open the store by 9am and close by 2pm because I have to take time to fetch water for my family.”
Hussaini Yakubu, 30
“During the rainy season, we store the rain in containers and sometimes it lasts for up to a month. However, during the dry season, I go and fetch water on foot. I go up to six trips a day to collect water.”
Ishiaku Njidda, 45“We have a well in my community. It usually dries up in January and stays that way till the raining season begins. During this period, I have to fetch water from another community which is 5km away from where I live. I fetch water for my family and my neighbours who are not strong enough to fetch. I go on bike six times a day so that i can get enough water to fill up our containers and that of our neighbours.”
Mubarak Yakubu, 21“I go out to fetch water for my family as early as 3am and I round off by 5am. I go early to avoid the queues. The water I collect can last for up to two days. However, when my children join me in fetching, we get enough water that can stay for up to five days. During the dry season, we minimise our water usage. We bathe once a day and we rarely wash our clothes.”
Yahaya Abdullahi, 39We have a pond in my community which has served as a water source for me and my ancestors. When the water level in the pond reduces, we have to dig it up. During this time, each family can only fetch up to one jerry can of water from the pond. I fetch water daily for myself and my family. I go to the pond at least three times a day.”
Saibaru Ahmadu, 46
“I used to farm during the dry season but I stopped some years ago because of the shortage of water in our community. I go on foot to fetch water daily. I use buckets and jerry cans.”
Danladi Abba, 45
I use jerry cans to fetch water for my family daily. I make at least three trips on foot at midnight and two more trips in the evening to fetch some more water for my household. On rare occasions, when we have more need for water, I have to borrow a motorbike to make more trips to the stream or I buy water from water vendors.”
Yusuf Nasiru, 35